On Wednesday, March 19, two days before Good Friday, there will be a vigil in front of the Lincoln County Courthouse sponsored by the Peace Study Group of Merrill and the North Central Friends Worship Group. We invite the public to join us – come anytime between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Join us, for whatever your reasons are, stand with us as a statement against this war.

March 19 marks the fifth anniversary of our country’s invasion of the sovereign of Iraq. We mourn this day. We mourn the many lives and dreams destroyed on both sides, and we mourn that this tragedy is still claiming lives and dreams with no end in sight.For more information call Susanna or Paul at 536-5889.

Susanna M. Juon-Gilk for the Peace Study Group of MerrillJudy Weaver for the North Central WI FriendsMerrill

March 19, 2008, is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq based on misinformation, failed policy, corrupt war profiteering and the violation of international treaties. The war is an embarrassment to the republic for which we stand and an abuse of our dedicated and courageous military forces.

From March 13-16 U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will descend on Washington to testify about war crimes they committed or personally witnessed in those countries.March 18 at 5 p.m. folks will Sound the Alarm at Union Station in Washington, D.C. … We will freeze for five minutes for each of the five years of war. When we move again, we will step forward using our voices in a call to the people to rise up – end the war....March 19 in Washington, D.C., demonstrations will begin with a public assembly at 7:30 a.m. in McPherson Square (15th and K Streets) ... At 8 a.m. some groups will blockade the IRS, others will shut down war profiteers in the K Street corridor, while the grannies will knit outside the recruiters office! … The March of the Dead will begin in Arlington Cemetery and process through downtown. At 9 a.m. the Veterans March for Peace will begin with several stops, culminating with actions near the White House and Veterans Administration. At noon, students will dance in the streets saying Funk the War and exposing war profiteers, recruiters and media along the way, while others call for No War, No Warming – end this war for oil. There will also be a demonstration of water boarding outside the White House in the mid-afternoon. …At 5 o’clock we will gather at the Reflecting Pool on the west side of the Capitol and march with pots and pans in a cacophony of resistance to the Democratic National Committee Headquarters. Here we will make it clear that we hold them accountable for the death, destruction and lies, and that we will we will continue to take action and intervene in their business until our call for peace is honored and all of our troops come home.

On March 19 there are war protests scheduled in 245 other locations around the U.S.

For those of us in the Northwoods that do not plan to demonstrate in Washington, D.C., or elsewhere, the Northwood Peace Coalition invites friends and neighbors to join us at Torpy Park in Minocqua at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday, March 19 to march peacefully, without blocking traffic (with the necessary official approvals, if possible) through Minocqua to across the 51 bridge over Lake Minocqua with signs and puppets and songs that folks may care to bring. We welcome veterans who know first-hand what many of us can only imagine in horror.

We thank the town of Minocqua and our beloved country for assuring the opportunity for peaceful and law-biding protest of policies that we believe it is our patriotic duty to protest most fervently.

The National Institutes of Health has just released the results of a $200 million research study completed under a grant to Johns Hopkins.The new study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.

I've seen other local versions of this group "protesting" all 6-8 of them on a street corner. Left over 70's hippieish types. Possibly still partaking of the herb.Yup, I'm sure that their protest in Minocqua will draw all sorts of media attention, all the way from Rhinelander.My question is, if so passionate why only in Minocqua, why not making the trip to DC?

"While I disagree most vehemently what you say; I will defend, unto death, your right to say it."

Voltaire..

*** The opinions expressed herein are uniquely MY OWN and should not be construed as an endorsement of any sort by my employers or of any professional associations to which I hold membership. I can dig myself into holes just fine without their help, thank you very much***

" We welcome veterans who know first-hand what many of us can only imagine in horror."

Have any of the folks trashing the efforts of our troops ever asked any of them about the good things that are occurring in Iraq because of the troop presence? Health care, schools reopening, Women's rights established, Iraqis turning in terrorist hide outs in their neighborhoods because they now feel safe enough to do so.